"Head to Toe" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

#1 Alert!

Gold Record Alert!

Song#:  3092
Date:  04/11/1987
Debut:  83
Peak:  1 (1 week)
Weeks:  20
Genre:  Dance-Pop, R&B, Freestyle



Pop Bits:  Along with the production/songwriting team of Full Force, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam scored a platinum self-titled debut album in 1985. It was boosted by two gold singles including the #8 Pop/#3 R&B hit "All Cried Out." Following the success, the band went back into the studio with Full Force to record a follow-up album. Spanish Fly would be produced and written (save for one co-write with Lisa Lisa) by Full Force with members of that team also performing on the LP. This first single was released and it became their first to reach #1 at both Pop and R&B. It was also their second song to top the Dance chart. The mass appeal of the song helped it become their third certified gold single. The album would reach #7 at both Pop and R&B and it would go platinum.

ReduxReview:  This Motown-influenced nugget pushed the band in a more mainstream pop direction and it worked well. Full Force really reined things in to make this a concise, hooky confection. Lisa Lisa's girlish voice sold the song perfectly and the freestyle production kept the track current. There was no doubt that this was going to be an across the board smash. Along with "All Cried Out," this song has lasted far beyond the 80s. While the band would only hang around for a few more years, these songs have kept the name Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam alive for decades.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  In addition to working with Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, the members of Full Force would also embark on a recording career of their own. In 1985, they would release their self-titled debut album. The LP's first single, "Girl If You Take Me Home," was an answer song to Lisa Lisa's first hit "I Wonder If I Take You Home" (#1 Dance/#6 R&B/#34 Pop). The response track wouldn't do as well only reaching #32 Dance and #79 R&B. Their next single, "Alice, I Want You Just for Me!" would do better getting to #16 R&B and #34 Dance. However, it was a much bigger hit in the UK where it got to #9. Full Force would continue to release albums over the years and along the way grab twelve more R&B single entries. Their biggest hit came in 1988 with "All in My Mind," which became their lone R&B Top 10 hit reaching #6. Besides the songwriting/production work that Full Force did for other artists, as a band they were never able to get a song on the Pop chart.

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